Rise, and Rise Again
by Hamath
Summary: Harry lost her. The only person who truly mattered to him. What's a newly christened Master of Death to do? HP/NT, Semi-canon compliant. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these. I'm merely borrowing Rowling's characters and ideas in an effort to flex my creative muscles.

_Rise, and Rise Again_

_"You know they won't approve," she murmured to me as I kissed her. She laughed, a sound that flowed over my skin like honey. "Hell, I don't even approve! You're six years younger than me!"_

_"Fuck them," I growled, brushing a hand through her pink hair. "We'll leave. I've had enough of this petty world."_

_Dumbledore knew. Probably knew the second that we found comfort in each other after Sirius died, omniscient old bastard. H e never said anything, but I got the feeling that he approved. In fact, I was almost certain that he covered for us a few times when people got suspicious._

_"Dumbledore didn't mind, I think," I say as I pull back from her. Laughter drifter towards us over the air, laughter that only something like a wedding can bring during times like this._

_She nodded, absently biting her lip. "I think Remus knows as well. He's never said anything, but I'm fairly sure he's figured it out." She paused, kissing me again. "I know you have to leave soon."_

_I nodded, leaning my head against hers. "Yeah. Soon. It's the only way to make sure he's gone."_

_She grabbed my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. "Stay safe."_

_I breathed deeply, almost tasting the lavender that she smelled of. "As long as you do," I said grinning._

_"You know we could try to change it," she said quietly as she leaned against me._

_I laughed. "Change it?" I asked. "Hell, they'll probably accuse me of being a dark wizard and try to arrest me when it's finally over."_

_She kissed me again. "I'll kill anyone who tries to take you from me."_

It was over.

I stood there over the rapidly cooling body of Voldemort, finally free. I could hear the roars of the students and adults as everybody realized what they had just witnessed. The Elder Wand felt right in my hand, so right that it almost _scared_ me. Power, more power than I had ever dreamed of was lying in the palm of my hand.

I turned, absently noting the exuberant faces of my friends and almost-family in the crowd, but there was only face I was concerned with finding.

I couldn't find her.

I frowned. Maybe she hadn't come to Hogwarts. I was certain I saw her, though.

My thoughts were broken as Ron ran up to me, grabbing me in a tight hug. "You did it, mate! He's dead!"

I brushed his arms off my shoulders. "I know, Ron. Listen," I said, "have you seen Tonks?"

Ron paused, suddenly quieting. "I-" He was cut off as McGonagall approached me.

"Mr. Potter," she said, all severe lines and grim demeanor made even more harsh by the blood on her robes, "please, come with me."

I did.

She led me to a row of bodies. I felt myself die a little bit as I saw each face, but as I saw hers, the only face that _fucking mattered_, I shattered.

"Albus confided in me the nature of your relationship," she said softly. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Po-Harry. Harry, I'm so sorry."

She left as I knelt down next to her, all the while people celebrated around me. I cried, cried harder than I had ever cried before.

I don't even remember what happened next, not exactly. I only remember wishing that I could speak to her one last time. I remember pulling on my invisibility cloak as I saw people rushing towards me, and I vaguely remember walking towards the forest. Where I had dropped the Resurrection Stone.

I found myself with the Ring on my finger, cloak on my back, wand in my hand. For the first time in history, all three Hallows were united on the same person.

My mind fractured. Memories of forgotten spells, things long forgotten poured into my mind. For the first time, I _understood_ what the words Master of Death meant, even more than Dumbledore did.

I turned, taking the cloak off my back, and strode back into the castle. I brushed my way through the throngs of people, the celebrations having died off. The few remaining loyal Aurors had arrived now, almost punctual in their lateness to the party, and were starting the clean up.

I ignored all of them, shoving one of them away from the immediate space around her, and twirled the Death Stick in my hand. Her wounds, a hideous gash across her chest knitted itself together, and in a small part of my mind, I wondered in amazement at how easy this was.

A quick flick of my wand and a murmured word lost to time started her heart. I didn't even notice the black tendrils starting to creep across the whites of my eyes.

Turning the Resurrection Stone around my finger, I summoned her soul back to me. _This_ was the true power of the Resurrection Stone in the hands of its Master, not the shade of what it was when it was by itself.

She gasped, her spirit solidifying in front of me, as people began to cry out as they realized what they were seeing.

I leaned in, gently grabbing her by the shoulders, guiding her into her body. She tried to resist slightly, but I was the Master of Death, and she was most certainly dead.

I leaned down by her ear, murmuring the words that I knew would bring her back to life, and I felt a piece of my life force get torn away.

Her eyes snapped open as her body gasped in a breath, her body convulsing as life was forced into it again. She shook for a few minutes, the crowd silent in awe as the magnitude of what they had just seen hit them. She looked up at me, before speaking.

"Harry? How-?" Tonks said in an almost broken voice.

I flicked my wand, creating an impenetrable dome around us. "I just wanted to be able to say goodbye." My voice broke as I realized that that was actually all I wanted. I couldn't keep her alive, as much as I wanted too.

Her gaze softened as she smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't-" I stopped her with a finger to her lips.

"It's okay," I said, and I realized that it was. "I'll see you again."

She nodded, tears falling from her eyes. "I love you."

I leaned down, hugging her as hard as I could, kissing her like it was the last time I would be able to, and I almost laughed hysterically as I realized it would be. I drew back, leaning my head against hers.

"I love you too."

I kissed her again, her hands gripping my shoulders almost painfully, and with another flick of the Elder Wand, she was gone.

I remained hunched over her body for a moment, before rising. I gazed out over the crowd, seeing the accusing eyes of my friends. Their judgment flowed over me like they were yelling condemnations towards me. I could almost hear the words were thinking.

_Necromancer._ Another Dark Lord.

I turned slightly, feeling eyes of a different sort on me. The Bloody Baron.

He gazed at me coolly. "Do you have any idea of what you've done, boy?"

I inclined my head slightly. "I do."

He swiped a hand through the air, chains clanking, as he growled angrily, "You are not the first necromancer to live, boy." His voice turned cold and biting. "This magic, it _costs_."

I turned away from him. "I am well aware of the costs involved." And I was. I could already feel what it had cost me to bring her back, even just for a moment. It's not something that you notice when you have it, but to have a piece of your life ripped away leaves a wound more achingly painful than anything else. "Leave, Baron," I turned my eyes towards him, still laced with black veins, "before I force you to."

I turned back towards the crowd. Some enterprising young Auror had stepped forward, my conversation with the Baron confirming what he needed to know.

"Harry Potter," he yelled, voice almost shaking. "For the crimes of Necromancy and Dark Magic, you are under arrest!" His voice rose over the protests of my friends in the crowd.

I turned towards the crowd. "Is this what you want?"

My friends all cried out 'no', but they were drowned out by the rest of the fear-stricken crowd.

I nodded, before flicking my wand again. The crowd froze. I again felt amazement at the pure power this wand held. I could have anything with this hand in my hand.

"If you don't agree with this young man here," I said, gesturing towards the Auror, "I suggest you leave."

I flicked my wand again, and the large majority of my friends and teachers were unfrozen. A few people I didn't recognize were unfrozen as well, and they ran out as fast as they could. I saw my friends were hesitant to leave, but with another flick of my wand they had no choice.

Kingsley spoke to me as his body was forced out the door. "What are you doing?"

I gazed at him, and I saw him shudder as he saw my eyes, and the madness that lay in them. "I'm going to do what Nymphadora would have me do." Another flick of my wand fixed the doors leading into the Great Hall, shutting them at the same time. I turned back towards the Auror, a flick of my wand freeing him from my spell.

"So," I murmured, "you want to arrest me."

He raised his wand. "You're a Necromancer, a Dark Wizard. We all saw it!"

I laughed softly, madness seeping into it. "A person I loved very much once said she'd kill anyone who tried to." I twirled my wand around my fingers. "She's not here anymore, so I guess that bothersome task falls to me instead."

And with that said, I reached out, eyes flashing black as I gazed upon the lines of energy that no mortal eyes had ever seen before. I saw the lines holding that insignificant Auror to the mortal plain as clearly as I could see the fear upon his face.

I reached out, and I _ripped_ the fucking life out of him.

He crumpled to the ground.

I gazed out at the rest of the unmoving crowd, eyes heavy on me with their judgment and fear. I turned towards the body at the front of the Hall.

"You know," I said softly, "I think that I know exactly what it is that you people deserve."

I walked towards Voldemorts body, wand repeating in the same steps they had gone through not moments before.

I could feel the terror of people at my back as I turned the Resurrection Stone. There was none of the gentleness I had reserved for Tonks in my motions as I gripped his spirit around its throat, throwing him back into his body.

I stood, voice clear and strong as another piece of my life fractured from me.

_"Rise, and rise again."_

Voldemort rose, and the Dark Lord was alive again. He gazed at me, eyes calculating. "Harry Potter."

I nodded, flicking my wand. My old Holly wand repaired at last was placed into Voldemorts hand. "Lord Voldemort."

He looked at the wand, out over the crowd, and finally me. I could tell he wanted to curse me, but a power greater than his own stayed his hand.

I nodded towards the crowd that had been so eager to condemn me. "Consider it a parting gift." I walked towards the doors, feeling his eyes on my back. "You will only die when the last one of them dies. I'll make sure your afterlife is more bearable, in return. Understand?"

Voldemort inclined his head slightly, a malicious grin spreading across his face. "Goodbye, Harry Potter."

I walked out of the Hall, and with a flick of my wand freeing them, the crowds screams followed me out before cutting off as I sealed the doors.


End file.
